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SHOULD schizophrenia be renamed to help reduce the stigma that surrounds the illness?

The suggestion continues to spark debate. There is no question that people living with schizophrenia are still stigmatised.

We know that people diagnosed as having schizophrenia die up to 20 years earlier than others in the community and a few years ago schizophrenia was declared the "abandoned illness" by the Schizophrenia Commission in the UK.

Now new research, the largest study to explore renaming the illness, has again highlighted the complexities of damaging stigma associated with diagnoses, particularly schizophrenia.

After surveying more than 1600 people, researchers in the UK concluded that "any decisions to rename should be made with caution".

"However, a decision not to rename may overlook an important opportunity to tackle damaging stereotypes..."

In Japan, after they changed the name, psychiatrists were almost twice as likely to tell their patients about their diagnosis.

Furthermore, 86% of psychiatrists said it was also easier to talk to their families and discuss treatments.

Award-winning Australian poet and author Sandy Jeffs has lived with schizophrenia for 38 years.

She says, somewhat despairingly, that even though mental health is discussed more openly and other mental health conditions become more visible, schizophrenia has retreated further into the shadows.

In a recent essay short-listed for the Gavin Mooney Memorial Essay Competition, she says:

"One has to be brave to say, 'I have schizophrenia'."

What's needed most is a change of attitude across the community.

SANE Australia recently called on the Federal Government to put in place a five-year national stigma-reduction campaign.

During this year's Schizophrenia Awareness Week (May 17-23), I again urge the government to support this initiative.